


Z is for Zeal

by microgiraffe



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Red talks, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, technically, this takes place after xy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-10-14 20:58:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/microgiraffe/pseuds/microgiraffe
Summary: Red goes to Kalos for Zygarde. That's what he tells himself, anyways.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So im garbage and still working on 20 years later lol  
> This is a completely separate universe from that story, also  
> Also also, pardon the french, as i took one (1) semester way back in middle school and remember exactly nothing at all

A loud yell made the foreign Pokémon run away from Red. He frowned. Someone must have stumbled over something. He didn’t know how; the terrain was far from difficult to navigate. Another yell, followed by a girlish giggle, made him stand from where he was crouched against the floor. From what minimal Kalosian he understood, this was _supposed_ to be some sort of “a space to be quiet.” To not disturb the wild Pokémon, or something.

Two girls rounded the corner, one tall and blonde and the other short with pigtails. The shorter one paused when she caught sight of Red. She gave a friendly smile. “Oh, bonjour!”

He knew that. That was “hello.” He gave them a curt nod in response.

“Parle-vous Kaloçais?” The taller asked, and the other girl’s mouth made an “o” shape, as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her.

Red held out a hand and shook it slightly, the universal sign for “kind of.” “Uh…” He started, voice quiet. “Mon nom est Red?”

The shorter girl giggled. He probably sounded like an idiot. “Je suis Shauna,” she introduced. “Voici Serena.”

Shauna and Serena. Those were pretty names. He kind of wished he could express so, but that was…the limit of his Kalosian. He slowly nodded. Serena rolled her eyes. “Do you speak Unovan?” She asked, accent heavy.

“Yes,” he said, and the girls smiled in relief. “Your names are pretty.”

Shauna laughed. “So, what brings you to Kalos? Terminus Cave isn’t that much of a hotspot for tourists.” He shrugged, and Shauna giggled again. “There’s rumors of a monster here.”

“That’s not true,” Serena scolded, pushed the girl with her elbow. “There’s not a monster.”

“I know,” he interrupted quietly, gaining the attention of the girls. “That’s…why I came.”

“Where are you from?” Shauna asked, eyes wide with interest.

“Kanto.” He brought a hand to his hat. “Palette Town.”

“Ooh, Kanto! I’ve always wanted to go there, Serena, we should go someday!” Shauna exclaimed, grabbing at Serena’s hand. “I heard it’s really nice and quiet!”

Red frowned. Yeah, maybe. In the right spots. Some spots on some routes were nearly absent of trainers all the time. He shook his head. “…sometimes. It’s cloudy. Cold, a lot. Um…the forest is quiet. But there’s…a lot of trainers. Kids.”

The girls nodded in unison. “I’m guessing you’re a trainer?” Serena asked, gesturing to the line of Pokéballs on Red’s waist. At his nod, she grinned. “I’m a bit of a trainer, myself. Care for a battle?”

“That’s hardly fair,” Shauna pouted, her face scrunching up. “He’s a tourist!”

“No,” Red said, a hand hovering over Pikachu’s ball. “It’s fine. We can battle, if you want.”

The battle was quick. Red knocked out most of Serena’s Pokémon with Pikachu before she could manage a hit on the rodent. She gave him an exasperated smile when she recalled her last Pokémon, holding out a hand to shake. “You oughta challenge the league,” she complimented, her hand small and warm in Red’s. “In another setting, you could be Champ.”

Red held back a smile. They didn’t know who he was, and honestly, he was willing to keep it that way. It was refreshing, not being hounded for interviews and pictures and signatures and _ugh, it was awful_. This was nice. These kids were nice. “Maybe,” he finally said.

“Hey, Serena,” Shauna said, tugging on her friend’s sleeve. “You know, isn’t the Professor working with someone from Kanto?”

Red frowned. Someone from Kanto could be anyone, but for some reason, he just _knew_. “Blue Oak?” He asked, and both girls looked at him like he was crazy.

“…yes,” Serena said. “You know him?”

Did he _know_ Blue? Sometimes, he sure wished he didn’t. But he couldn’t deny that _yes_ , he did know Blue, he had known Blue for most of his life, if not all. He couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t know Blue. He gave the girls a tense smile. “…you could say that. He’s…” Red trailed off, thinking. “…a friend.”

A loud roar cut them off. It was piercing and sounded like it was inside his head rather than deeper in the cave. Serena and Shauna clung to each other, eyes closed tight and teeth bared in pain. Red couldn’t blame them; the sound _hurt_. But as soon as it started, it was over. They all stood in silence for a minute, too scared to move.

“…I think,” Shauna stage-whispered, shivering. “We should go.”

Red blinked as the sudden harsh light attacked his eyes. Serena and Shauna bid him _adieu_ after Serena gave him her number ( _For battle reasons_ , she said), taking off on Serena’s Charizard to some city that he didn’t quite catch the name of. He looked at his map and called out his own Charizard, who nuzzled into his cap cheerfully. His eyes lingered over Lumiose for a while. “…let’s visit someone,” he said softly, pointing to Lumiose for Charizard to understand. “He deserves a visit.”

Professor Sycamore greeted him with wide arms and a bright smile. Red had already met the man, technically, over video-call with Professor Oak when he was preparing to leave for Kalos. Funny, Red thought, how Oak completely negated to tell him that his grandson was in this same laboratory. Maybe he just forgot; the man _was_ old. But…

He let Sycamore hug him tightly, rambling in energetic Unovan about how happy he was that Red had come to visit the lab, that he should’ve stopped by sooner, he had so many questions about how his journey through Kalos had gone so far and _Arceus please stop talking please, please slow down_.

“I heard Blue was working here,” he said, trying his best to interrupt Sycamore’s current rant about Mega Evolution. “Is he in?”

“Oh, yes! Well, no, but yes!” Sycamore laughed. “Yes, he’s working here. No, he’s not in right now. I gave him a bit of a…vacation, so he can focus on studying for finals.”

“Finals?” Red frowned. Blue was in college? What the fuck? “…do you have his number?”

He got Blue’s number. He also got his address, and work schedule for the next month after his exams were over. Red didn’t really think he needed the schedule, but the address could help. He’s sure Blue would totally appreciate a random visit from someone he hadn’t seen in five years. Red smiled.

Blue had an apartment in the middle of the city. Red already hated it. It was too loud, too busy, too confusing, too many streets, too many _people_. This was the _worst_. Pikachu let him hold her tightly in his arms, relieving some of the tension in his body. He had no idea where the street was. _Just off of Vert Plaza_ , Sycamore had told him, _right by the river_.

Where the _fuck_ was Vert Plaza??

No matter which way he turned his map, he couldn’t figure out where he was. Finally, he caved and asked someone, _oú est Vert Plaza?_ in hopes his Kalosian was good enough for them to get that he was completely lost.

Apartment 203. He found it, finally, and he could’ve cheered from how happy he was. He was tired, he was sweating, he probably looked like a total mess. But that was fine. He was here. Red huffed a sigh and knocked on the door.

…no answer. Red frowned. Please. Let him be home. Please let this mean something. He knocked again, louder. Pikachu squeaked sadly.

… _shit_. Well, that was fine. He had Blue’s number, he could…text, or something, tell him he stopped by maybe?

Red knocked again, maybe third time’s the charm. He started turning when a voice asked through the door, “Qu’est-ce?”

…what the fuck did that mean? Red pursed his lips. “…it’s Red,” he tried, and a moment passed right before a lock clicked and the door was yanked open.

“ _Red?!_ ”

That was definitely Blue. He looked _almost_ the same as the last time Red saw him. He was taller, now, and had a decent haircut. He looked exhausted, in his very ugly bright yellow _I Love Lumiose!!_ sweatshirt and green plaid pajama bottoms. “La merde?! Qu’est-ce que tu fais ici?”

“I have no idea what you’re saying,” he interrupted, gaining a mean look from Blue. “You look horrible, by the way.”

“…me?! _I_ look horrible?!” Blue scoffed, finally in something that wasn’t Kalosian. “You oughta look at yourself, pal. Can’t even bother to buy yourself a new hat? What, are you living on volcanos instead of snowcaps?”

Red avoided the want to pull at his cap brim. It was his _style_ , why should he change it? It was what people called _iconic_. No one cared if it looked torn up. In fact, people _preferred_ the torn-up look. They thought it was cool.

“Well, come in,” Blue said after a moment, stepping away from the door. “Do you plan on just sitting outside or what?”

* * *

 

Blue’s apartment was small, but…nice? The couch was comfier than the hard, cold, ground that he had been sleeping on for the majority of the last few weeks. It was warm; it was dry. That’s…really all he could ask for. The living space was right next to a criminally small kitchenette, and a couple doors off to the side were what he assumed were a bedroom and bathroom. Just as Blue was sitting on the opposite end of the couch, Red spoke up:

“…do you have any food?”

Blue paused in setting his laptop on top of his legs. “…what? _Really_? Did you come here just to eat all my food?”

“No.” _Yes_. “I came to visit.”

“Well, it’s a bad time.”

Red frowned in Blue’s general direction. He wasn’t being a very good host. Maybe Red wasn’t being a very good guest. Well, whatever. If Blue didn’t care enough to offer food, Red would help himself. He stood and made his way into the kitchen.

One cabinet revealed dishes. Another, some pots and pans. Cups and mugs. Coffee, both instant and ground beans. Cereal. That could work. He shook the box. …empty? Time to try the fridge.

“…you have no food.” Red let the fridge swing shut. “What the hell?”

“Well, I _said_ it’s a bad time,” Blue said from the couch. “Guess I need to go shopping.”

“What…” Red started, quietly. “Have you been eating?”

The silence spoke. “…I’ve been busy.”

“I’ve heard.” Red sat back down on the couch, watching Blue do whatever he was doing on his laptop. “You’re being a horrible host.”

The laptop was slammed shut. “Well, sorry for not being prepared for a guest that I didn’t know was in the region!” Blue’s eyes narrowed, disdain very obvious. “Usually, I like some sort of notice. I’m sorry for not catering to you.”

Red tensed up in his spot against the armrest. This suddenly got personal. “…I heard you’re in school.”

“Hm.” Was that a yes? Red was taking it as a yes.

“And you’re working at the lab.”

“Yeah?”

“That’s a lot of work.”

“Guess so.”

“…well—”

“How did you find where I live?” Before Red could open his mouth to respond, Blue held up a finger. “Actually—why the hell are you even here?”

Red bit his cheek. Honestly? He…didn’t really know. Why _did_ he feel the need to visit Blue? Clearly, he was annoying him more than anything else. He just felt the urge when those girls mentioned that Blue was actually here, in Kalos, at the same time as Red. He looked up. Blue was staring at him, waiting for an answer. Oops. “…in Kalos?”

“I—” Blue cut himself off, rolling his eyes. “Sure. Why are you in Kalos?”

That one was easy to answer. “Zygarde.” He thought for a moment. “And Mega Evolution. But mostly for Zygarde.”

“Zygarde? The monster in Terminus Cave?” Blue narrowed his eyes. “…it’s real?”

Red had a problem. The moment he heard of this “monster,” misunderstood and abandoned by society, terrorizing the population because it didn’t know any better, he _had_ to help it. It was his nature. He just…had to. He couldn’t help it. “I think it is,” he said softly, earning a loud snort from Blue.

“Is this another, ‘oh, a Pokémon in trouble! It just needs a friend!’ type of situation?” At Red’s silence, Blue burst into laughter. “You’re kidding, right? You can’t keep doing this. Mewtwo should’ve been your first warning flag.”

Mewtwo was a different situation, and he _knew_ Blue knew that. Mewtwo was dangerous, _actually_ dangerous, with multiple accounts of killing and injuring trainers. _Someone_ had to do _something_ , and that someone was him, and that something was capturing it. It was the same as Team Rocket: someone had to do something, and that someone was him and the something was dismantling it at the source. The someone was always him. He couldn’t help that; no one else ever did anything.

When it got to the point where Cerulean Cave had to be shut off from trainers, Red knew something had to be done. He couldn’t understand why people would just let this mentally and physically abused Pokémon just…be angry at humanity, instead of trying to help it through its problems. Mewtwo _could_ be helped; he knew it. It was just taking longer than he thought.

“You’re too nice, you know,” Blue said quietly, startling Red out of his thoughts. “It’s gonna get you killed.”

“…not my fault.” Red looked down at his lap. “Someone has to do something.”

“You don’t always have to be the someone, Red,” Blue snapped, making Red jump. “I don’t know why you keep thinking you do, but you don’t. What if it doesn’t want your help? Mewtwo sure didn’t.”

But he _did_ have to be the someone, no one else ever did anything! Not when it came to criminal syndicates, not when it came to Pokémon in need, not when it came to the scarred minds of eleven-year-olds who had no idea how the world worked and got thrust into positions of power too soon and too fast. Yes, he had to be the someone. Someone _needed_ to do _something_. “Mewtwo is learning,” he finally said. “It’s learning. Just…”

“’Just give it time,’ yeah? Yeah, right.” Blue scoffed. “The thing nearly fucking killed you, and it ‘needs time.’ Sure. What happens when _Zygarde_ tries to kill you? What if you aren’t around someone else this time? Take care of yourself before you worry about some damaged Pokémon.”

“That’s a lot coming from someone who hasn’t eaten in days,” Red countered.

Blue’s face flushed, like it always did when he was super embarrassed. Red won this round. He took great care of himself, in his opinion. He wasn’t nutritionally challenged, he ate well enough, he got exercise, he showered, he brushed his teeth…what was he _not_ doing? “I’ve…eaten,” Blue managed to say, and Red gave him a look. “It’s not your business.”

“My business is your business, apparently.”

“Red—”

“Don’t worry about what I’m doing,” Red interrupted, leaning back into the couch. “You’re not going to help, so don’t worry about what happens. If something happens, it happens. Like with Mewtwo.”

Red wasn’t scared of Zygarde. He hadn’t been scared of Mewtwo, either. Not too many things did scare him. The ghost in the Pokémon Tower hadn’t scared him. Pokémon in general didn’t scare him. People, on the other hand, and how they treated Pokémon? That was what scared him.

Mewtwo wasn’t natural. Neither was Zygarde. They were similar in that aspect. They shouldn’t exist, was a thought that crossed Red’s mind constantly. Humans shouldn’t mess with nature like that, creating things that shouldn’t be created, experimenting and acting as God when they had no right to. It wasn’t natural. It was terrifying. He wasn’t worried about Zygarde killing him. The danger never even crossed his mind. He was focused on _help_ , on helping it, on getting it to understand that it’s okay to be alive and it was okay to feel resentment, but it wasn’t okay to hurt others because of it. He had to.

Someone had to do something.

* * *

 

He wasn’t sure what he did to earn a right to sleep on the couch, but Red stared up at the dark ceiling, a frown on his face. He was thankful that Blue even let him spend the night, honestly, but it was done in sort of a resentful way. Blue didn’t look like he wanted Red to be there in the morning, which was fine, because Red wasn’t planning on being there in the morning. This apartment had almost a hostile air to it, and Red couldn’t tell if it was because of him or if it was because Blue was so busy right now.

The sound of the toilet flushing jolted him out of his thoughts. A light still peeked out from under Blue’s door. Was he still up doing things? Studying or whatever? It was past midnight.

_*Me: are you okay?_

He could hear the faint _ding_ of Blue’s messages going off and a hushed curse.

_*Blue: Leave me alone, thx_

_*Me: are you okay?_

_*Me: why are you up?_

Blue stopped responding for a good five minutes. Red had almost fallen asleep until his phone started buzzing like crazy on his chest. Great. He probably pissed off Blue _again_. He seemed to be pretty good at that. He bit his lip and waited for his phone to stop making noise.

_*Blue: Listen_

_*Blue: I don’t really know what gave you the idea that we were friends all of a sudden now_

_*Blue: What gave you the right to be asking me if I’m okay_

_*Blue: I’m busy_

_*Blue: I’m studying_

_*Blue: I’m trying to graduate_

_*Blue: I’m trying to be *something*_

_*Blue: I Don’t Want You Here_

_*Blue: Maybe I didn’t make that obvious enough?_

_*Blue: I’m incredibly stressed, I haven’t gotten more than like five hours of sleep over the last three days, I’ve barely eaten, I barely go out_

_*Blue: Please leave me alone._

Good fucking grief. Well, that sort of answered his questions. No, Blue wasn’t okay, and he was up because he was taking horrible care of himself. Red set his alarm early.

It was still dark when he woke up. If Blue was the same as he was when he was younger, he wouldn’t get out of bed until around ten. That gave him plenty of time to find his way around the city, get to a grocery store, buy some food, and make breakfast. Blue was right; Red didn’t really have the right to ask if he was okay. But when someone needed help, he helped. Even if they didn’t want help. Blue sure as hell didn’t want help.

It was light by the time he got back to Blue’s apartment. The door was still unlocked, thankfully. Red did his best to close the door as quietly as possible, hoping that Blue was in fact still sleeping. He honestly hoped so; he was still moving around when Red decided to go to sleep.

It wasn’t a well-known fact that Red was a decent cook. He kind of had to be, when he’s practically lived outdoors for the last ten years. He could barely hear the creak of a door over the sizzle of eggs. He turned his head and looked at Blue, who looked…horrible. His hair was sticking up all over, and he really looked as if he just fell out of bed. “…good morning,” Red tried, holding up the spatula he was using. “I’m making food.”

Blue gave an indecipherable grunt, shouldering up to Red and opening the cabinet right next to the stove for coffee. He turned on the pot and turned back to Red, eyes squinted. “Why,” he mumbled. “I didn’t ask you to.”

“I know.” Red kept stirring the eggs. “I was hungry.”

They sat beside each other at the small island that separated the kitchen and living room. Just as Red shoved a piece of toast in his mouth, Blue’s knee knocked against his. He glanced over. “Sorry. About. Last night.” Blue’s words were curt and quiet. “I, uh…shouldn’t’ve. Said that stuff. So, sorry.”

That was weird. This was weird. Since when did Blue ever apologize for anything? Maybe college was changing him, or something. Maybe it was Kalos in general. Red swallowed his toast and turned so he was facing Blue. “Is it good?”

“I—…what?”

“The food.” Red pointed to Blue’s nearly empty plate. “Is it good?”

“Well, yeah.” Blue took a sip of his coffee. “Didn’t know you could cook.”

They were both quiet for a while. Red hadn’t even been mad at Blue, and he didn’t know why Blue thought that he was. He wasn’t the type to get upset when someone was having trouble. His eyes flicked up when Blue scooted his chair back. “Help me with Zygarde,” he said softly.

He assumed Blue hadn’t heard until he heard back, just as quiet: “Maybe.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red just wants to help everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a very vague description of some violence in this chapter, nothing too extreme

There was a tiny cave just off Route 22. A dented and worn Master Ball bounced up and down in Red’s hand as he stood in the entrance. This would work. He looked back outside, into the bright light, and peered around looking for trainers. Just in case.

Nothing but the sunniness of the yellow flower field looked back at him. Perfect.

He clicked the button and tossed the ball. Instantly, the room got pressurized, hot, and _loud_. This was normal. Mewtwo loomed over him, just under seven feet tall, staring down its nose as if it were a disapproving parent. The scream of white noise filled his ears, but that was okay. This was normal. Red held up his hands.

_This is not the mountain,_ he heard in his head, clear over the noise. _What is your purpose?_

Red’s mouth formed a thin line. He almost didn’t want to respond, considering what happened last time, but it didn’t seem hostile yet. He took a quick breath through his nose. “…Kalos. Another region. Far from Kanto.” Red tensed as Mewtwo turned away from him. “Will you train?”

Short sentences. Quick, quiet, not more than a few seconds. Too much and everything could go horribly wrong. It drifted towards the back of the cave, feet floating just an inch about the ground. _What gives you the privilege?_ He heard, sharp and aggressive.

Okay, this was bad. He glanced at the Master Ball, a few feet in front of him. Too far to grab quickly just in case. “New place. New people. Maybe—”

_Maybe you thought wrong_.

Something snapped inside of Red. “Just try! People aren’t as bad as you think they are, I promise. I’m trying to help!”

Mewtwo spun around, and Red _knew_ he was fucked. Too many words, too forward, too loud, shit shit _shit_ —

Its face filled his vision, stopping not even three inches away from his own. He stopped himself from flinching back. If it wanted to hurt him, it would have by now. This was _progress._ He kept his face straight as it watched him, unblinking, waiting for movement. Finally, it shot away from him.

_You know nothing,_ it said, the noise growing louder and louder until suddenly it stopped. Mewtwo vanished in a flash of light, back into the Master Ball, and the room went silent. It returned itself. That had _never_ happened before.

Never had he walked away from one of these sessions without a broken bone, or a twisted something, or a cut somewhere, or a psychic burn. This was the first time nothing got violent. A huge grin broke out on Red’s face. This was great! This was progress! Something was changing, something was getting _better_ , this was amazing!

Mewtwo _didn’t_ hurt him.

Someone cleared their throat behind him, and he nearly tripped turning around. Serena was there, with a boy he didn’t recognize. She smiled at him. Red hesitantly smiled back. “Oh, bonjour, Red!” She greeted, raising a hand in a wave. “It’s been a few days. What are you getting into?”

“Exploring,” he answered, and the boy narrowed his eyes. “What are you up to?”

“I could say the same, I guess.” She grabbed a ball from her belt. “Up to another battle?”

Red almost said _yes_ , but then remembered he only had Mewtwo and Charizard with him. Charizard would love to battle, he knew that. Mewtwo, though…he had never used Mewtwo in battle, and he wasn’t about to test it on some little girl. He reluctantly shook his head.

“No?” She frowned and gestured to the Master Ball on the ground. “That’s a fancy ball. What’s in it?”

“Something that’s not battle-ready.”

“We know what a Master Ball is,” the boy said, and Serena rolled her eyes. “We both have one.”

“I don’t think he’s the kind to catch a Magikarp in a Master Ball, Calem. Give him some credit, hm?” She clipped her ball back on her belt. “I’m sure whatever it is, it’s strong.”

“…you could say that,” he said, picking up the ball from the ground. “Just not ready to battle. I’m training it.”

They went out into the cool Kalosian afternoon, the sun harsh on Red’s eyes. He pulled the brim of his cap down. A breeze brushed past them, making Serena’s hair fly up into her face. “Have you found Zygarde, yet?” She asked.

“ _He’s_ the one?” Calem exclaimed, pointing. Rude. “You’re really searching for Zygarde? Are you sure about that?”

“No,” Red said to Serena, turning to face her. “Would you like to help?”

Serena laughed, but it was a nice laugh. Not a _you’re stupid for trying_ laugh. Serena was nice. Calem, however, was not. “I would love to, but I’m a bit busy right now. Maybe the next time you’re looking for a mythical monster.”

They chatted for a little while, about Pokémon and the region and good places to eat, until Serena’s watch beeped. She hopped on her Charizard, Calem close behind her, and bid him _adieu_ again, taking off with a strong flap of wings.

* * *

 

Red couldn’t remember what happened when he caught Mewtwo. He just knew that technically, _technically_ , Mewtwo wasn’t really his. Sure, it was in his Master Ball, the one the president from Silph gave to him for saving the company, but it wasn’t him who threw the ball. He remembered a heavy pressure around his whole body, suffocating him, crushing his limbs, burning his skin, the overwhelming thought of _I’m going to die_ , and then suddenly it stopped, and he woke up in a hospital.

They were only twelve. Cerulean Cave was finally open to them, both having been champions, and Red had somehow managed to convince Blue to go with him to explore and find the mysterious Pokémon with a body count. He still couldn’t figure out what made Mewtwo want to attack him first, or at all, but it did, and it was vicious. It clearly wanted Red to die.

After he was cleared for visitors at the hospital, Blue gave him a ball. His Master Ball. He had a hard look on his face, way too serious for any kid to be wearing. “I don’t know if you want this,” he had said, right after the ball left his fingertips. “Honestly, it’d be stupid to keep it around.”

_You’d_ be stupid, he had meant. Red had only nodded, throat still rough from the attack. Blue had stayed in the room for a good hour after handing over the Master Ball, talking about stuff that Red really couldn’t remember anymore. It was nearly eight years ago, after all.

He stepped away from the computer terminal in the Pokémon Center in Santalune, putting Mewtwo back and retrieving the rest of his Pokémon again. If only Serena were still around; now, he could actually battle her. He sat at the tiny café beside the mart, considering ordering a sandwich or something, but…something kept nagging at his mind.

Blue probably hadn’t eaten yet. Red clicked on the contact that was only a few days old.

“Qui est-ce?”

Oh, right. Blue probably didn’t have his number saved. They didn’t exactly text each other after that first day Red had visited. “It’s Red. Sycamore gave me your number.”

“…ah. My number _and_ my address, huh?” Blue gave a laugh. “’course he would.”

“Do you want to get something to eat?”

“…what?”

“Food. Eat.” How hard was it to understand? “We could go somewhere in Lumiose, or something. Or somewhere else.”

“Why?”

“I’m hungry, that’s why.”

Blue eventually reluctantly agreed to meet up at a café in Lumiose. It was even a place that Serena had said was really good. _Café Triste, on North,_ Serena had said, _has amazing pasta dishes._ But he still had no idea how to navigate the city.

Red finally managed to get there after wandering around for about half an hour, hoping Blue was still waiting for him to show up. He wasn’t sitting at any of the outdoor tables, so hopefully he was inside. He checked his phone: no messages. Well.

The door jingled when he entered, and he instantly saw Blue sitting in a corner booth, eyes instantly narrowing at the sight of Red with his mouth wrapped around a straw and clearly typing away on his phone. Red winced.

“You’re fucking late,” Blue snapped as soon as Red sat down across from him. It looked like he had ordered some kind of soda. “You called me like an hour ago. I’ve been waiting an hour. What the hell have you been doing?”

“You could’ve eaten without me,” Red defended, opening up a menu. “I’m not paying for you, so.”

A waitress came and took their orders quickly, and as Red took a sip of his water, Blue cleared his throat. “You still haven’t answered me. What were you doing?”

“I was in Santalune when I called.”

“Santalune? Why?”

Red relayed everything that had happened, from exploring Route 22 to finding the tiny cave to chatting with Serena and Calem. He didn’t miss Blue’s face falling when he mentioned his interaction with Mewtwo. Blue really had no faith that Mewtwo could be helped, and it was so obvious.

He really had no faith in _Red_.

* * *

 

Red stayed the night at Blue’s apartment again. Light still peeked out from under Blue’s room door, even though he was positive exams were over and there was no reason to be up this late now. It had been a little over a week; going by the schedule Sycamore gave him, Blue was back at work. He stood up from the couch. Considering how well texting went last time, maybe he should just go and talk to Blue instead. Maybe.

As he knocked on Blue’s door, the thought of _I haven’t seen his room yet_ popped into his mind for some reason. Red frowned, not hearing any movement from behind the door. Should he knock again? Maybe he fell asleep with the light on. Should he go in? Should he text him?

He knocked again, a little louder this time, and when he still didn’t get a response, he tried the knob. It was unlocked, much to Red’s surprise. He let himself in and froze when Blue’s head snapped up from being hidden behind his laptop screen, headphones over his ears and glasses on his nose. Blue yanked his headphones off and spluttered for a moment before finally getting out, “what the hell?!”

Well, the headphones explained why he hadn’t heard Red knocking. Red glanced around the small room for a moment. The bed faced the door, and from what he could see, the walls were pretty bare. Boring. He looked back at Blue with a frown. “…the light is keeping me up,” he lied. “Turn it off.”

“Switch is right there.”

Red looked to his left, at the light switch on the wall. He looked back at Blue. “I meant go to sleep.”

Blue’s brow furrowed, his glasses sliding down his nose. “I’m busy. I’ve got a paper due soon.”

So it was still school that was keeping him up. That was stupid, Red decided. Well, school wasn’t stupid. In all honesty, he was proud of Blue for picking back up school after their journeys. But staying up past midnight on what was probably a daily basis was stupid. So, he said so. “That’s stupid.”

Blue’s face went red, and he closed his laptop. “…what?”

“Staying up this late. It’s stupid.” Red leaned on the doorway, crossing his arms. “Not healthy.”

“As if you’re one to talk!”

Red was getting flashbacks to a week ago, with Blue claiming that Red didn’t “have the right” to be asking if he was okay. This was stupid. Blue was his friend, even if they weren’t as close as they used to be. Why should he need a reason to care, anyways? It was normal to care. It was human. It was the whole reason for why he was working with Mewtwo, and why he wanted to help Zygarde.

Red took a short breath through his nose. “I care about you.”

Blue’s face went even redder than before. “I—wha—you—!”

“You’re my friend.” Red shifted his stance, moving his weight from one foot to the other. “I’d appreciate it if you took better care of yourself.”

“We’re not—”

“Yes, we are,” Red interrupted, making Blue make a noise of anger. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t let me stay here.”

Blue went silent, and Red knew he was right. He couldn’t understand why Blue was so set on not being friends, and on not taking care of himself. Well, fuck that. Red was dead-set on helping, and that was final. Their silent staring contest ended when Blue finally sighed, putting his laptop on the nightstand beside his bed and waving a hand in Red’s direction. “Well,” he started, “can you get the switch for me, then?”

Red smiled, flicking the switch and covering them both in sudden darkness. “Thank you.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red gives and gets some advice.

Red’s phone started ringing promptly at eight in the morning. Pikachu whined, sparking her cheeks in frustration before hopping off his chest and curling up on the floor instead. Before he could really comprehend what was happening, his phone stopped ringing. Then, two seconds later, it started ringing again. He nearly fell off the couch reaching for it, peering down at the contact.

It was Serena.

“…hello?”

“Bonjour,” she said, and Red almost didn’t recognize her voice. “Are you busy?”

Busy sleeping, but he chose to omit that fact. He said no, and she asked if he wanted to meet up in Snowbelle for some coffee. That was…unexpected, but he said sure, gathered his things, left a short note for Blue, whistled for Pikachu, and headed out the door.

Serena was sitting in front of a small café, two steaming mugs of coffee sitting in front of her. She was bundled up in an expensive-looking coat, buttoned and zipped up to her chin, and a knit cap pulled down over her ears. She looked like she was freezing.

As he sat down, she glanced up from giving her coffee mug a death stare, cheeks flushed from the wind chill. She gave him a quick look of confusion, probably from his lack of heavy winter gear. His thin windbreaker was unzipped, flapping around in the breeze, and a scarf was loosely wrapped around his neck. He vaguely wondered what made her want to meet _here_ , of all places.

“Good morning,” she greeted, pushing his mug over to him. “You came across as a tea person, so I hope chamomile is fine.”

Chamomile was _his favorite_. He nodded and sipped at the tea, honestly happy that she hadn’t bought him coffee. She mimicked him, taking a long drink of her own coffee. Their cups clicked simultaneously on the table, and Serena smiled.

“So, Red,” she started, and instantly sounded like she was older than him for a moment. “Have you ever just…realized?”

Red pursed his lips. Realize? Realize what? He thought for a moment, watching his hands wrap around tightly around his tea. He remembered when he suddenly realized how unprepared for being a champion he was. It hit him like a brick: one day, he was fine with it. The next, he absolutely hated it. He slowly nodded, looking back up at her.

She was almost examining him, brows furrowed and lips tight. “I tend to wonder if I’ve done the right thing, sometimes.”

That was something else he could relate to. He nodded again. She was only thirteen, maybe. Older than he _was_ , but still so young. He thought about Kris and Ethan, and the horrors _they_ faced way back when, when Team Rocket tried to make a comeback. He couldn’t imagine the types of things she could be talking about.

“There was a man,” she suddenly said, bringing him from his thoughts. “Who ran a company. He wanted to destroy the world. He was…convinced, that the world lost its beauty, its…purity? And that humans would just continue to destroy nature. And honestly? I was almost convinced he was right.”

That sounded…intense. Red sipped his tea before responding. “What happened?”

“Well, we stopped him,” she said easily. Red assumed she meant her and her friends. “Shauna and Calem, Trevor and Tierno; we stopped him. But it almost happened—we were almost too late. Sometimes I wonder what…would have happened.”

He remembered the overwhelming feeling of being too late. Too late to stop Team Rocket from killing hundreds of Pokémon, stealing and selling them illegally. Too late to keep the lab on Cinnabar from committing crimes against humanity. What would have happened if he hadn’t been there? What would have happened in he _hadn’t_ stopped them? What would have happened—

“I’m sure Team Rocket was the same. They were active in your time, right?” She said it as if she knew exactly what he did. “Flare wasn’t nearly as bad as they were. They…”

“Killed.” People and Pokémon, but he knew she knew that. “They didn’t care who it was. Not even if it was a child.”

“I’m sure that would have been terrifying.”

He wondered how long she had known: if she knew when they first met back in Terminus Cave, during their battle; if she knew when they ran into each other on Route 22, when he was training Mewtwo; if she only just knew now. But she knew. And in this moment, she knew a million times more about him than he knew about her.

“Why did you call me?” He asked, leaning back in his chair. He sort of had an idea, based on the topic of their conversation.

“I don’t think I’m ready.” She held her coffee mug close to her, as if it were a precious object. “Calem…would be better.”

“That’s what I used to think.”

_Blue would be better_ , would cross his mind from time to time. But ultimately, it was Red who broke up Team Rocket. It was Red who won the Championship. It was Red who took up the responsibility to help Mewtwo.

Serena kept her eyes down on her coffee, the steam still gently puffing up in her face. She looked…like a child. Small and afraid, young and naïve, not ready for the world. Not ready for responsibility. “…do what feels right,” he finally said, making her glance up. “You aren’t me. We might be… _similar_ , but…we aren’t the same person.”

She looked as if she hadn’t known that, as if he just said some other-worldly knowledge. Her eyes went wide, and she blinked in confusion, before her mouth gaped a little bit like a Magikarp. Like she was trying to say something but couldn’t _quite_ figure out what it was. But it was the truth: they weren’t the same person.

It was weird, having people look up to the things he did. It was jarring when Kris and Ethan expressed their avid admiration for him when they first met; two starry-eyed ten-year-olds expressing how excited they were to _finally_ meet their _hero_ , a skinny fourteen-year-old boy hiding away in a mountain cave trying to train the most dangerous being in existence. The snow in their hair melted away from their high-spirited energy.

Maybe she was in the same situation.

“If you don’t think you’re ready,” he said softly, “then you aren’t ready.”

“We battled,” she said, voice just as soft, “after we parted on Détourner Way? He won. But he didn’t want the title.”

This was the first instance of her mentioning anything about being Champion. He had a feeling she was, from everything she said about fighting Team Flare. Kids these days just _did that_ : fight criminal organizations and become Champions before they’re really ready to. There was that one boy from Hoenn, who went up into space on _Rayquaza_ in order to save the region from an asteroid. And the girl from Sinnoh, who went into another _dimension!_

Sometimes he wondered how _he_ was the hero everyone looked up to. ( _You did it first_ , he faintly heard, and it sounded a lot like Blue’s voice.)

Sometimes, he felt like he missed out on a childhood. And in those times, he knows for a fact that those children definitely did.

“I almost died,” he disclosed, making her jump in her seat. Before she could say anything, he kept going. “I almost died, because I wasn’t ready to do the things that I did.”

Her grip tightened on her mug. He could almost see his Master Ball sitting on the table between them, battered and chipped, radiating heat from the immense psychic energy contained inside it. She knew _everything_.

He felt horrible.

They drank the rest of their lukewarm drinks in silence.

* * *

 

“Hi, mom,” he said into the receiver, getting back an excited gasp.

“Oh, Red! Hello, dear!” She sounded so happy. He really should call her more often. “You’re still in Kalos, right? What’s it like?”

“Um…” He thought for a moment. “Loud? Lots of people. There’re people everywhere.”

“Well, I meant the sights, honey.” She laughed a little. Man, he loved her laugh. He _really_ should call her more often. “Is it as pretty as all the postcards make it look?”

“I’ll send you some pictures,” he said, gaining a happy sounding hum in response. “But I need…help.”

Instantly, his mom went quiet. He could almost imagine her mouth tightening up as she thought about what to say next, running her hands through her hair and bringing it to rest over her shoulder. “Help? What’s wrong, Red?”

“I made a friend.”

“A friend!” She exclaimed, and Red winced. He _really_ hoped she didn’t get the wrong idea. “Goodness, really? Oh, Red! That’s great, honey!”

Honestly, he really appreciated how happy she was for him. He knew how badly she wanted him to make more friends, ever since he was a kid. She had been over-joyed when he and Blue became friends, even more so when Leaf entered the picture. And then it was Kris and Ethan, who she loved as if they were her own children. “Mom, sure, but…she needs help.”

“ _She?!_ ” Oh, she _absolutely_ had the wrong idea. “Red—”

“No. She’s thirteen.”

“Oh! Okay. Okay.” She made a huffy laugh, as if she was embarrassed. Which she should be. He honestly couldn’t believe she would just _assume_ like that. Well. Actually, he could. That was the kind of person she was.

“She’s like me.” He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in for a moment before he continued. “She’s a Champion.”

“Oh, so she’s a go-getter, hm?”

_Go-getter_ was the understatement of the year. He had told her about the other Champions, how the standards just seem to get higher and more intense as the years went by. They all make what he managed to accomplish seem like baby talk. “She has the same problem that I do. Did.” He frowned. “…did.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That if she doesn’t think she’s ready, then she’s not ready. And to do what feels right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Do you think that was good?”

His mom was quiet for a long time, and for a moment, Red thought the line went dead. Then he heard her take a soft breath. “…I’m so proud of you.” She sounded as if she was about to start crying. “Red, that’s…you did great, dear. As long as you speak from your heart, and tried the best you could, I’m sure it was fine.”

That certainly was his mom. “Thanks, mom.”

“Anything for you, honey!” And there she went, bouncing back from seriousness and nearly crying into her initial cheeriness. “Is that all you needed?”

“Well—”

“Have more faith in yourself, Red. You’re one of the most genuine people I know. You can handle it.” She spoke with such a smile in her softened voice that Red felt his face flush. She always went way too overboard with her compliments. “Is that all you needed?”

“…yes,” he finally said, a small smile on his face. “Thank you.”

“Of course! Call me anytime, okay? And be sure to send me pictures. Keep in touch! You’re my baby, I worry.”

He tells her he will, of course he will, he’ll try harder to remember to call more often, he’ll do his best to remember to take and send pictures, he promises he’ll visit once he’s back in Kanto. ‘ _I love you_ ’s were exchanged, and they hung up at the same time.

Red really loved his mom.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a bit personal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been a month! sorry, got super busy with school and the like, haha

There was a huge library that was attached to Sycamore’s lab in Lumiose, and Red finally gathered the courage to explore it. He even forced Blue to come with him, because he knew he needed the extra help in trying to search for what he wanted. They took off at about eight in the morning, and each searched the three floors, gathering as many books as they could find about the legendaries of Kalos.

After around three hours, they sat side by side at a small table, a stack of around thirty books sitting between them. Some were reference books that the catalogue said had relevant information in them, some of them were articles, and some of them were children’s books. He was tempted to disregard those ones entirely, until Blue said that picture books like this tended to have some truth hidden behind the flowery language and cutesy art.

They both grabbed a book and started skimming, Red making notes in his phone and Blue scribbling down things in a pocket-sized journal.

An hour passed before either of them spoke up. “Hey, look at this.” Blue pushed over the reference book he was currently going through, a finger tapping on the title of the section: Zygarde and its Formes. “Formes. I guess it changes. Evolves, or something. But it’s not permanent, like Mega Evolution.”

Red scrolled through his notes and looked until he saw _cells??_ An article he read through mentioned the cells of Zygarde, and how its form was shaped by the percentage of cells it had. Really, it was all just theories; speculating, assuming this is how things would work if it were real. No one had _seen_ Zygarde. Only rough drawings from legends gave some semblance of an idea of what it was supposed to look like, and none of the images looked anywhere near the same. Some looked like a dragon-snake creature, some looked like a canine, and some looked like it was ripped straight from those superhero comics Ethan loved to collect.

The only thing that stayed the same was the fact it could change its appearance, and it split into cells. The cell theory at least explained why it looked different in every single picture he could find. “I saw that, too.”

“All the children’s books I went through said that the Complete Forme was something to be scared of.” Blue flipped through his little notebook. “’The perfect form only appears when nature is in danger.’ Apparently, it’s never really happened except for a few accounts.”

“It’s to protect the ecosystem,” Red recited from his notes, and instantly, Red thought to his conversation with Serena.

_A man, who wanted to destroy the world. He thought the natural beauty, the purity, was gone._ Well, if that had really been the case, Zygarde (if it existed) would have stepped in to destroy whatever was threatening the ecosystem. He wasn’t sure what that point went to: it could be used to say Zygarde wasn’t real, or it could be used to say that man was full of bullshit.

Blue snorted. “Well, shit, when you put it that way, it doesn’t sound scary at all.”

Serena seemed so deadest on believing Zygarde wasn’t real—at least, when they first met, she seemed like she didn’t believe. Maybe that had changed, like how she knew who he was now. Child Champions and doing death-defying acts, meeting legendaries as if they were your average Pidgey…he could only assume she had seen legendaries before. Maybe she would have some input.

Red looked back through his notes, at what was said about the other legendaries. Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon, had the power to take life. Xerneas, the Life Pokémon, had the power to grant eternal life. And Zygarde, acting as middle force, protecting the ecosystem and forcing balance between the two.

_*Me: i’m doing research on Zygarde, do you know anything about the other legendaries?_

_*Serena: shauna and i saw Yveltal_

Her response was almost instant. Honestly, he was a bit surprised; he figured she would be busy with her Champion duties, especially since weekends were a popular time to go and try to fight gym leaders and the league.

_*Serena: it was terrifying._

_*Serena: Lysandere woke it from its cocoon, and wanted to use it to destroy life so the world could be reborn_

_*Serena: I thought it was going to_

At least everything was matching up with what the articles and books were saying. But now, he had another problem. He was clearly bringing up some bad memories.

_*Me: but it didn’t, and you stopped it._

Her texts stopped after that. That was fine—he didn’t want to upset her anymore than he might have already.

Red hadn’t even noticed Blue had stood up until a book was plopped down open in front of him, open on a page towards the end. “Look at this,” Blue said, finger pointing at a sentence. “ _Witness accounts_ , dating from the early 1800s. All of them point to Terminus Cave as a cesspool for ‘strange occurrences.’”

He glanced up for a moment, looking over at Blue.

…oh. He could see right down his collar. His eyes shot back down towards the book, staring hard at the mess of tiny words on the bright paper. Blue was still talking, rambling on about something, probably whatever was written under the witness accounts. Honestly, Red couldn’t quite focus. That was…embarrassing, to say the least.

It wasn’t even like he saw any skin, really. He was wearing some kind of skin-tight shirt under the baggy one he had on. It was…just the concept, he guessed—the fact he saw something he wasn’t supposed to. A smack on the back of the head startled him from his stupor for a moment.

“Hey, idiot, are you even listening?”

“Yeah, I…you said there were witness accounts.” Red couldn’t stop thinking about what that shirt was. He _knew_ what it was, Leaf had told him about it before, but he now couldn’t totally remember. “Terminus Cave. Uh…”

“Good grief, why’d I even bother offering my help? Clearly you don’t deserve it.” Blue clicked his tongue before standing back up straight and snatching the book. “I’ll put it back if you aren’t interested.”

“No, no. I am.” It clicked, suddenly, like another smack to the head. “How long have you been wearing that?”

Blue looked confused, to say the least. His eyes flicked down to his body, then back at Red. His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his bangs. “…my _clothes_?”

“No, uh…” Red vaguely pulled at the collar of his own shirt. “The binder.”

There was complete silence for a minute. Maybe Red shouldn’t have said anything. Blue’s face went from deathly pale to completely flushed in half a second, right before he started gaping his mouth. “What—you—you looked down my shirt?!”

Red held up his hands in surrender, his gut response towards hostility. Blue looked ready to beat him up. “Wait, no, I didn’t _mean_ to—”

“What the _fuck?!_ ”

Red saw the lady at the desk look up out of the corner of his eye, probably to see what the problem was. Blue was loud as hell. He bit his lip. “I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

“The fuck you mean, an accident? You don’t just—”

“Do you maybe want to not yell about this now?” Red cut him off quick and quiet. “We’re in a library.”

He didn’t think it was possible for Blue’s face to look any brighter. He looked as though he just realized how loud he was being. His head spun around towards the lady at the desk, who merely mimed turning a knob down. The Smeargle by her side seemed to giggle. Blue cleared his throat. “…fine. Sorry.”

* * *

 

“About earlier.”

Red looked up from his phone, pausing in absentmindedly running his fingers over Pikachu. Blue wasn’t even looking at him; his eyes were still glued to the TV, but he clearly wasn’t paying any sort of attention to what was on. Red could barely hear the crunch of Eevee eating her food in the kitchen over the what he assumed was a superhero movie. He watched Blue for a moment, waiting for him to continue. He didn’t. “…earlier?”

“You looking down my shirt.”

Red frowned. “I said it was an accident.”

“Still don’t know how much to believe you.” Blue’s very faint half-smile let Red know he was joking. “Leaf tell you about that?”

“How’d you guess?”

Blue finally looked away from the TV, rolling his eyes. “Please,” he drawled, letting his arm rest on back of the couch. “You’re a total loser when it comes to that kind of shit. ‘Course she’d tell you; you’re her second-best friend.”

Red liked to think he was absolutely Leaf’s number one best friend, but that wasn’t the point. He shrugged. “Are you still wearing it?”

“Does it look like I am? Figured you would’ve noticed, considering how eager you seemed to look before.”

“I didn’t mean to! Jeez.”

Blue’s fist shoved at his shoulder, barely making contact. “I’m kidding. ‘ _Jeez_.’”

The undertones of what they were talking about hit Red like a Primeape. Sure, none of this was exactly a _secret_ ; they had known each other since they were practically babies. But it was never something they really talked about, besides the occasional times Professor Oak would forget Blue’s name. He was better about it, now—Red hadn’t needed to correct him once during his visits to the lab.

Things were different, now. He could tell.

Things changed when they hit about nine, and they stopped changing around each other. They stopped sharing a bed. Blue started pushing back when he or Leaf tried to pull him into a hug. They completely stopped spending time around each other. Daisy said it was “pre-teen hormones,” something he and Leaf would understand when they got older and more mature.

He still wasn’t sure if he really understood. He probably never would, either. Leaf used to always describe it as “pretending to be a boy.” When they were kids, they would play pretend all the time: Leaf always wanted to be the princess, Blue always wanted to be the knight or hero, and Red always got stuck as the prince. They used to tease him about how “un-prince-like” he was: always getting stuck in the mud, tripping over sticks, and running headfirst into trees.

He couldn’t pretend for thirty minutes. He couldn’t imagine pretending for years.

Even now, with all of them being in their twenties, Red knew Leaf still had to pretend sometimes. Even with her long hair, even with her stuffed bras, even with her cute skirts and dresses.

He really didn’t know anything about Blue these days.

Blue’s attention was back on the TV, his thumb clicking the channel button to scroll through the guide. There was a sharpness to his jaw Red never noticed before, an arch to his cheekbones, and a broadness to his shoulders. Still, if he looked close enough, he could barely make out the outline of a black sports bra under his white shirt.

“Are you going to get surgery?” Red asked, breaking the metaphorical silence in the room. Blue jumped in his seat. “Sorry—if that’s…um…personal.”

The other man seemed to falter a bit, fumbling with the remote before ultimately setting it down on his thigh. “Yeah, it kind of is.” He sighed, a bit of a jerky and halting sigh, as if he still wanted to say something. “…look, can we just drop it?”

“Sure.” Red paused. “…if you ever need help with anything, let me know.”

Blue made a noise, one that clearly showed how much he still wanted to talk. That was fine, though. They had gone nearly twenty years almost never talking about it. Red was fine to get this far.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red gets an idea.

Red spent the next week freeloading and wandering the city. Blue was never actually in his apartment, Red quickly learned—his school and work kept him out nearly all day. It was _almost_ like Red had his own house, until he would jolt awake on the couch when the front door opened around midnight each night with no subtlety whatsoever.

The next Friday morning, Serena called him again to meet up for coffee and tea in Snowbelle; Friday mornings were one of her only free times, and the city was right next to the League. Shauna joined them this time, babbling on and unintentionally dominating the conversation every now and again with her general bubbliness. She reminded Red of Kris, a little. Bright, colorful, a big personality, and so genuinely sweet it made his mouth pucker. They even both had pigtails.

“Oh, right!” Shauna exclaimed suddenly, as Serena was bringing up doing some help around Sycamore’s lab. “Did you get in contact with your friend? Blue?”

A small smile came up on Red’s face. “I did. I’ve been staying with him.”

“Crashing on his couch?” Serena interrupted, a similar smile crossing her face. “It’s free and warm, though, right? I used to hate sleeping on the ground.”

Red hadn’t ever even thought about compensating Blue for letting him practically live in his apartment. His smile fell. How could he forget? Sure, he’s made breakfast a couple of times, the few times he managed to catch Blue before he had to leave for the day, but having a breakfast ratio of one meal to every five days wasn’t exactly paying him back. “What do you do for fun?”

“The Battle Chateaux, mostly.” Serena sipped her coffee. “During the summer, Calem and I would explore Glittering Cave for gems and fossils. It a bit too chilly now.”

“I help the daycare!”

He thought as he brought his steaming chamomile tea to his face. Blue liked battling. Well, he _used_ to, at least, a few years ago. He probably still did, just never had the time. And Blue liked rocks and fossils, Red knew that for sure. He wasn’t studying evolutionary science for no reason. He tried to focus back on the girls.

“Ooh, or the waterfalls at Couriway! Didn’t you and Calem—”

“ _Shauna_!” Serena hissed, her eyes narrowed.

“Couriway?” He hadn’t been there, yet. “Waterfalls?”

“Yeah!” Shauna had stars in her eyes. “It’s absolutely beautiful there. You take the train, and you can see the falls just as you cross over the mountains. They have a platform you can walk out on, and it’s always covered in mist. And the water’s so clear! It’s a great vacation spot.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t been yet.” Serena seemed to have gotten over her initial quick anger at Shauna, and her eyes studied him carefully. “Usually, that’s the first place tourists go. Couriway or Lumiose.”

Red thought.

* * *

 

He stopped at the PokéCenter on his way back into Lumiose, skimming through pamphlets and brochures for the different cities and hotspots. He found a few describing the caves Serena mentioned, as well as the multiple battle institutes the region offered. He even found her posing on the cover of League Monthly, smiling brightly next to her Greninja under the headline _An Interview with the Kalosian Champion: How She Got Here_.

“Looking for something to do?”

Red looked up from the magazine rack, making eye contact with the nurse behind the counter. He nodded.

“I’ve seen you around before.” She gave him a bright smile, brushing a strand of black hair behind her ear. “On TV, too. You were popular back in my day.”

Red felt his face flush. “…are you Kalosian?”

“I’m from Unova.” That would explain how perfect her Unovan is. Then again, Joys were trained to learn the most popular languages no matter what. “You and your friend inspired a lot of kids, back then.”

He got that a lot. It was awkward, though, getting these compliments from people he didn’t know. He could only nod.

“Do you know the Champion?” She gestured to the magazine he held loosely in his hand. “She lists you as an inspiration in that interview.”

So Serena knew who he was since the start. She sure managed to play him like a fiddle, in that case. He was convinced she had no clue who he was. Maybe that would explain why she challenged him to a battle but didn’t seem too upset she lost. _She’s good at pretending_.

Red held up the magazine a little. “Is it okay if I take this? Oh, and…the, uh…these.” He held up the other pamphlets.

“Sure, sweetie,” she said, her smile never leaving her face. “Don’t worry about it. We restock every morning.”

He thanked her and shoved the papers in his backpack, bidding her goodbye and leaving the center.

The apartment was unlocked when he tried the knob. Eevee barked at him once from her comfy spot on Blue’s lap, not bothering to move to do anything about the potential intruder. He could understand why; Blue was brushing out her fur. “Oh, shit.” Blue looked over at Red, a frown on his face. “Guess I forgot to lock the door.”

“That’s all you have to say about it? She didn’t even move.” He rolled his eyes at Blue’s scoff, slipping off his shoes and letting his bag fall to the floor. “You’re home early.”

“I’m always back this early on Fridays. I don’t work.”

The words rang in Red’s head like a Chimecho. “Are you working this weekend?” He asked quickly, determination filling his body.

“Uh…no?” Blue looked at him weird. “Are you—”

“We’re going somewhere.” He fell to his knees and dug through his bag, rummaging around for the papers he stuffed in there an hour ago. He pulled out the League Monthly magazine as well as the Couriway brochure, smiling at the beautiful portrait of the waterfalls on the front. “Here.”

Blue hesitantly took the brochure, pushing Eevee off his lap. “…Couriway? That’s…far.”

“Have you been?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Then we’re going.” Red snatched back the paper, flipping it open to the train schedule. “We can catch a train at the station tomorrow morning and spend the weekend.”

“Okay, okay, but—but _why_?” The strange look came back, his eyes narrowing and brows furrowing. “I mean, it’s cool, but…”

“But what?” Red frowned. “I figured it would be fun.”

Blue stayed quiet for a while, messing with the ends of the sleeves on his sweatshirt. Red was almost convinced he wasn’t going to respond at all, that he should just take it back and say _maybe another time_. Blue sighed. “…you want to?”

“Do you?”

There was another moment of silence between the two of them. Red wasn’t going to say anything or change the subject until he got a response. He wanted to do this as a payback, but if Blue wasn’t interested, he could find something else. It was the concept of trying to thank Blue for letting him stay on his couch that Red was focusing on.

(Maybe it was also a bit of wanting to just hang out with him like when they were kids, but whatever _._ )

“What time are we leaving?”

Red grinned.

* * *

 

_We were given the opportunity to ask the newest Kalosian Champion, Serena (age 13) of Vaniville, some questions regarding her new position._

_Q: Have you always been interested in Pokémon?_

_A: Everyone’s interested in Pokémon, it’s nothing special for kids to want to go the extra mile. (She laughs.) Some people just get further than others. And that’s okay; I don’t think any champion actually expected to become champion._

_Q: Did you ever have a moment when you thought, “I have to do this?”_

_A: (She laughs again.) Well, yeah, of course. I wouldn’t be here otherwise, right? I think Greninja could agree with me. She’s one of my best friends; she knows everything about me. I think we had this shared moment where we just realized._

_Q: What about any inspirations? Any special trainers or previous Champions who you look up to?_

_A: Well, my mom always inspired me, especially the way she connects with Rhyhorn in her races. But…I remember, when I was maybe five, and me and my dad were watching League reruns on TV. I remember loving watching Cynthia and her Garchomp, and Lance and his Dragonite, but then they showed the kids. Red and Blue._

_Q: Are they the ones who made you want to pursue the League?_

_A: Yeah, you could say that. My dad said, “Oh, that’s the boy who stopped Team Rocket in Kanto. He was only eleven, Serena! Isn’t that something.” Now, though, I know how stressful that must’ve been. The whole problem with Lysandre and Team Flare—I don’t know how I managed that. He was younger; he was alone. I thought a lot about Red and Team Rocket when me and my friends were fighting._

_Q: What would you say if you could meet him?_

_A: Oh, jeez. (She laughs.) I…I don’t know. Probably nothing he’s never heard before._

_Q: Nothing at all?_

_A: Well...maybe, just say “hi.” I bet he’s never heard that before! Just “hello.” I bet it'd be a nice change of pace.  
_


End file.
